Local veteran Lucas Schmitz spoke at the dedication of his personal experiences in the Iraq War, where he was battle wounded.

The Pequot Lakes American Legion Color Guard was in attendance, along with a crowd of around 40 people.

Jeff Kreitz, the artist who created the sculpture, said after the meeting that the contemporary sculpture is meant to show the mental, physical and emotional wounds left by war.

Made of copper, bronze and stainless steel, the sculpture includes a purple heart, a medal that Kreitz said is given to all branches of the armed services. A streak of copper goes from the purple heart to the base of the sculpture, and Kreitz pointed out that the concrete slab is the shape of a teardrop.

Kreitz said the sculpture is unisex and does not focus on any one branch of service.

“On a limited budget, you can’t represent all theaters of war. This is an all-in-one, semi-abstract, contemporary sculpture,” Kreitz said. “It’s an honor to do the sculpture for veterans and the city.”